Thursday, July 7, 2016

Enhance your child’s reading skills

Every time you can enhance your child’s reading skills, it’s a step toward raising a better reader. And good readers have a greater chance to succeed in school. One positive and effective tool to use is a book in rhyme.

As a children’s librarian, I spent many hours reading books in rhyme to young children in Story Hour. I had several reasons for doing so:

They’re fun! And if kids have fun listening to a book, they’ll want to hear it over and over.

They keep kids engaged, especially if they have a repetitive refrain or word (like Ah-Choo!

You can turn most of them into songs! Have you ever sung a book? Try putting the rhyming verses of Ah-Choo! to music.

Did I mention that they’re fun?

According to one educator, “Books that rhyme are not only fun for parents to read aloud, they are enjoyable to listen to, they offer wonderful exposure to unique language and they provide an opportunity for children to begin reading on their own. Repetition and rhyme give way to rhythm, recognition and memorization-all of which can have a huge impact on children learning to read.”
You can use Ah-Choo! in different ways to help your child practice rhyming even more.

Find all the words in the book that rhyme with Ah-Choo.

Search for other words that rhyme, such as “hen” and “then” or “Jack” and “back.”

Have your child choose a name for an animal, then think of a rhyming name. For example, maybe your child names the cat “Sammy.” Other names that rhyme with Sammy are Hammy, Jammy, Lammy, etc. There are more than 26 animals in Ah-Choo, so there are almost endless opportunities for practicing rhyme with your child.

Of course, the very best way to use Ah-Choo! to enhance reading skills is to cuddle with your children and read it out loud to them. Chances are, they’ll want to hear it again, and again, and again…My thoughts about "Ah-Choo!": Rhyming text that rollicks and frolics along on the tip of the reader's tongue is always a sure-fire win in children's books. Factor in delightful illustrations that burst in bright colors from the page and fit perfectly with the text and you have a true win-win picture book.

This is a read-aloud delight. Such an assortment of critters that this little boy tries for pets and all cause his sister to sneeze. This cute book teaches several things..... desire for a pet, pets that won't work out in a household - what to do with them, perseverance to find a solution to a problem, consideration for others. Well, you get the idea. The book is simply abloom with subtle teachable moments.

But it is also simply a fun book to read aloud one-on-one or in a classroom. Interaction from the ones being read to could be the repeated Ah-Choo! that results when animals are introduced.

About the book: When hunting for his new best friend, a boy goes through an alphabetical menagerie of animals. From an antelope, to bobolink birds, to wolves and zebras—and of course, a cat and dog, too—he brings them all home. But each creature just makes his sister go AH-CHOO! Will he ever be able to have the perfect pet?

Beautifully illustrated and brimming with silly scenes that will have young readers in hysterics, this sensitive look at the difficulties children go through when suffering from allergies can help begin conversations at home about compromise.

The authors and illustrators:

Lana Wayne Koehler was a music teach in Ohio before retiring and writing children’s books. Now an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), she helps new writers by speaking at Kent State University and local writer’s groups. Lana loves cooking exotic foods and traveling with her husband, Dano, who supports her beyond measure.

Gloria G. Adams wanted to be an archaeologist, an ice skater, a writer, or a princess. Instead, she worked as a children’s librarian and storyteller. Now, she spends most of her time writing books for children. She loves reading, telling stories with puppets, walking on the beach, and eating chocolate. You can find out more about her on her website, gloriaadams.com.

Ken Min was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and studied illustration at the Art Center, College of Design. He has storyboarded for various commercials and animated TV shows such as The PJs, Futurama, and Fairly OddParents. His illustration work has been recognized numerous times by the SCBWI.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Sterling Children's Books to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own and I was not compensated. Giveaway prize is mailed directly to winner from Sterling.

Our whole family loves animals of every kind but our oldest son had severe allergies and asthma, so for awhile, we had pets like a snake, a toad, a praying mantis, a bumblebee, a walking stick, newts. Then one magical Xmas we surprised them with a "hypoallergenic" nonshedding Maltese puppy and he did just fine with him. Now that he is grown and on his own, I have a cat and both our cat and me are allergic sneezers so both of us sneeze a kazillion tiny sneezes in a row. HAHA.

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